Canter
by FreyaCat
Summary: Bulma, Vegeta, and an ornery horse. Oh, let the fun begin! Rated for language.


**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters therein. Damn...**

**Okay, folks, I know I haven't posted a new story in a while, but that's just because my last story wasn't...erm...shall we say appropriate for FFN. Anyone who wants to read it can private message me and ask for the link. Enjoy!**

_**Canter**_

The young stable lad back away slowly as the stallion pawed the grass anxiously. The boy knew from first hand experience that the only thing to do when Shadow Dancer got that look in his eyes was get out of there. Quickly.

The horse snorted, little puffs of dust expelling from his nostrils, and whinnied at the trembling youth below him. He was annoyed, having been brushed just a tad too roughly. Again. Now, he was going to let everyone know about it by making an example of the colt shaking at his hooves. There was only one human who could've calmed him at that moment, and he couldn't scent her anywhere. Oh well!

The big black stallion turned his hind quarters to the kid and reared his back hooves up, delivering a punishing blow to the tiny human's gut. The boy dropped like a rock. Shadow snorted in satisfaction, trotting with his horsey head up high back to his stall. He'd had quite enough human "company" for one day, thank you! And now, for some nice hay.

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.

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"Uh, excuse me, Miss Briefs," the pretty young intern said uncertainly, "I...uhm...I'm really sorry to bother you, but they're asking for you in the stables. It seems that Shadow Dancer is having another fit, and has injured little William Connery."

Bulma sighed and pressed at her temples, the headache she was already battling becoming sharper. Lovely, just what she needed on top of her astronomical workload. That damned horse was so much trouble! But...she just couldn't send him away. Shadow Dancer was her horse, and also her favorite animal out of the many that the Briefs family kept in their menagerie. There was something very free spirited about him, and she'd instantly felt a connection.

Trouble was, the only person that he wouldn't take his volatile temper out on _was _her, and she couldn't afford enough time everyday to ride him. That was why she'd hired a full staff of stable managers to care for him. Apparently, he didn't like the new kid either. Big surprise...he was almost as ornery as Vegeta, and Bulma thought that may have been one of the reasons that she was so attracted to the stallion.

Every time she rode him, she felt pure and raw power in the bunching and releasing of his muscles as he galloped across the fields behind the compound. Bulma couldn't fly, and she'd always felt a tug of envy for her friends that took it for granted. Shadow was her closest option to taking wing and feeling the rush of wind through her hair. For that, she loved the horse, and could never rid herself of him. He gave her a precious gift, you see. He gave her the gift of freedom. In return, all he asked for was her affection.

Bulma stretched her tired arms above her head and stood, knowing that this was going to take a while. Not that she really minded. She really wouldn't trade time with Shadow Dancer for anything in the world. Well, maybe not anything except for time with Vegeta...

She sighed as the surly prince stomped through her thoughts. He'd already been living with her for three whole months, and she _still_ hadn't made any headway with him. She was beginning to doubt that her new housemate would ever fit in. She threw open her office door, making her way down one of Capsule Corporations many winding hallways. Stepping into the elevator, she leaned against the cool metal and jabbed the button that would lead her to the ground floor menagerie. She wasn't looking forward to dealing with this particular fuzzy male.

The double doors slid open silently, and she opened her bloodshot eyes, nearly jumping out of her skin when she came nose to nose with the one person she'd least expected to see. Well, speak of the devil...and, man, did he ever look devious. And delicious.

He'd obviously just come from training, if the glistening sweat beaded on his muscles was any indicator. A little white towel was draped around his shoulders, calling attention to how very wide they were. Bulma at once felt every inch the delicate female that she was, just as she would when riding her horse, and loved it. Now that she thought about it, there were many parallels between the prince and Shadow Dancer, and she wondered briefly if Vegeta would be just as good of a ride as the stallion. She blushed and cleared her throat.

"Heya, Vegeta, did you need something?"

"Yes," he said snidely, "I need a new training bot. This one was insufficient."

She looked down as he lightly kicked the twisted hunk of metal, that had been a finely tuned precision instrument, and scowled. Crossing her arms, she turned her nose to the air.

"Well, you're just gonna have to wait, your highness. I need to go attend to Shadow Dancer right now, so I don't have time to play mechanic for you."

He tilted his head to the side and regarded her quizzically.

"Is this "Shadow Dancer" a strong machine? Perhaps I could just use that instead of waiting for your slothful hide to fix this one."

"Oh, he's strong alright," she chuckled, ignoring his slight, "but I think it'd turn out more like him using you. And he's not a machine, Vegeta, he's a horse."

"And this "horse" is a good fighter? I seriously doubt he could match up to my skills. Take me to him. I want to see this person. We'll see how long he can match up to someone of my caliber."

She shook her head, chortling darkly.

"Okay! You wanna meet Shadow? Follow me, your majesty."

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Vegeta's nose wrinkled as the pungent odor of manure slapped his nose. He looked around the strangely built structure that housed this "Shadow Dancer", and snorted in disgust. If this was how the mysterious fighter kept his quarters, then he could see why the woman thought he would be a challenge. The stench alone was enough to put the mighty Saiyan at a disadvantage.

"Ah, Miss Bulma!"

He turned and spied an elderly man in a leather vest coming out to greet her. Vegeta sneezed. The old man smelled just as bad everything else in that blasted place! Didn't anyone take showers on this filthy planet?

"Hey, Smitty," Bulma said cheerily, a blatant affection in her tone. "How's it hangin', man?"

Vegeta watched with interest as the woman and "Smitty" commenced a series of hand shakes and palm slaps, finally ending with the geezer pulling her into a tight embrace. The prince barely restrained his unexplainable urge to rip the old man's arms off. Then, Smitty turned to him and tipped his hat, which Bulma had referred to as a "cabby cap" when he'd asked about a similar one a week earlier.

"Good mornin', sir! The name's David Smithers, but folks 'round these parts just call me Smitty. Much obliged to make yer acquaintance."

Smitty held out a gnarled hand, something looking suspiciously like crap caked under his blunt nails. Vegeta regarded it like one might study a high explosive, and crossed his arms in lieu of the friendly gesture. However, the old man surprised him by throwing back his head and letting loose a deep whooping laugh instead of getting offended like most humans would. Perhaps this grubby urchin was intriguing after all...

"And you must be Prince Vegeta," Smitty said, eyes twinkling. "Miss Bulma here has told me all about you. I must say, it's an honor to meet a real live prince."

Vegeta grunted, flattered that a human had finally given his status the respect it deserved. Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Yea, yea, he's fascinating. Now where's my Shadow? I heard he threw another fit."

"Well, that's a word for it. Thank God y'all are here, little missy, he's fit to be tied this time. I dunno if yer even gonna be able to snap him out of it. As it is, he already took out our new stable boy. Poor fella had a few broken ribs. Dunno if we're gonna be seein' him again any time soon."

Bulma's face dropped, and the Smitty scratched his white beard nervously. Something shifted in the air between the two of them, and Vegeta couldn't help feeling like he was missing something.

"Can I see him," she asked softly. Smitty began to fidget, obviously waging an internal debate, but deflated after a moment and and nodded.

"I suppose, Miss Bulma, but don't you get too close now, ya hear?" Vegeta watched amusedly as Smitty wagged a finger in Bulma's face. "Y'all come this way."

Vegeta felt a bubble of excitement in his chest. Finally, he would get to meet this illusive person who seemed to hold sway over so many people at Capsule Corporation. Especially with Bulma. He felt a slight tug in his gut as they walked into the building, but quickly shoved it away at the prospect of a new opponent.

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.

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"What...the bloody hell..is that?"

"Vegeta, meet Shadow Dancer. He's my horse, but don't let his cutie pie appearance fool you, he'll break you in half in a New York minute if you let him."

Bulma beamed as she stroked the huge animals nose. It let out a dusty puff of air in her face, and she laughed like she was amused by that repulsive thing. She cooed at it, and Vegeta's abhorrence grew when it made a strange sound like it was babbling right back at her. Jeez, how sickeningly sweet could she get?

"Yes, baby, "neigh" to you too. I've heard you were a naughty boy this morning. What has momma told you about being mean to the workers, hm?"

Shadow whinnied, a look that could almost pass for guilt painting his coal-black eyes. Bulma's face softened, and she pulled a sugar cube from a beaten, brown, leather bag hanging on the frame of his stall. She stuck her hand under his mouth, and Vegeta's eyes widened slightly when the animal's huge teeth nipped it from her palm. That thing was gonna take her hand off! She smiled in delight, and resumed stroking his mane. The Saiyan shook his head.

"There, that's better. What is it, boy, you gettin' antsy? Does momma need to take you for a ride today?"

His hoof scratched at the dirt and hay beneath him, and his shook his horsey head to the affirmative. Vegeta was beginning to wonder if this beast actually understood her. Maybe Earth animals were telepathic? He sent a mental touch to it, trying to test his theory. Shadow went very still, and turned his big glassy eyes to study the prince. Bulma looked back and forth between them, hoping that Vegeta hadn't done anything to upset her baby. Then suddenly, Shadow shocked her completely by going up to the Saiyan and sniffing his neck curiously.

"Well, I'll be damned," Smitty muttered, just as astounded as she. "Looks like ol' Shadow here's taken a liking to the prince! Imagine that..."

Vegeta stood rigid as the animal's giant nose tickled his skin. It was softer than he'd expected, though little hairs were pricking him every few seconds. The Saiyan smirked when the horse's breath blew a few wayward strands from his eyes, and when it reached down to lip his shoulder like another sweet treat. Maybe horses weren't so bad after all...ya know, for pathetic Earth creatures.

Bulma and Smitty grinned, a bloom of warmth unfurling in their chests. This horse may have been a real doozy to work with, but maybe there was hope for him yet. Hell, if Shadow would let Vegeta ride him as well, then maybe they could eventually break him in and stop running through stable boys like so much popcorn.

Suddenly, their hopes were dashed as the high pitched melody of a violin began to echo around the stable. Bulma spun wide eyed and furious, yelling for Smitty to find the music and stop it. He was off like a shot, hollering frantically for whoever it was to "turn that sissy shit off, dag-na-bit!". She rounded back on the other two just in time to watch Shadow rear up and let out a panicked wicker. Vegeta backed away, in no hurry to be stomped. He could have easily killed the animal, but he had a feeling that it might cost him his training equipment, and possibly his home.

He hopped back against the far wall when the horse began to violently kick the wooden stall.

"Shadow, stop! Sweetie, stop it!"

Vegeta watched in horrified fascination as the woman ran up to the bucking animal and grabbed the reigns in his mouth, trying with all her might to pull him pack down. Shadow cast a wild look around, the awful sounds bombarding his home scratching against his brain like nails. He didn't even notice the slight tug in his mouth as Bulma tried to calm him. Acting on instinct, he reared up on his hind legs and kicked his front hooves. Luckily, he met only air.

Bulma opened one tightly squeezed eye and was astounded to find herself still in one piece. When Shadow had gone off the ground, she'd thought she was a goner for sure. It was then that she noticed herself encircled by two rock-solid arms. She looked up, and saw Vegeta still looking at Shadow. Smitty had finally gotten the music turned off, and the horse was beginning to calm down. Then, he whinnied and Vegeta blinked, looking down at her wide azure gaze.

"V-Vegeta...you saved me. Thank you."

"Hn. Well, _you_ were just going to stand there like an idiot, and get turned into a pancake. Come to think of it, maybe I should've let that blasted thing trample you. It would certainly be more peaceful around here."

She ignored him, and threw her arms around his neck. He went stiff against her, but she held him even tighter, reveling in the tan velvet of his flesh touching hers. Her hero... Uncertainly, she lowered her lips and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek. He cursed himself as he felt the tell-tale heat of a dark blush spreading over his face. Abruptly she stood, and he felt a disturbing chill where her warmth and been.

Bulma walked back to the stall, where Shadow flitted his gaze about nervously and reached a hand out to him. He snuffled it warily, and nuzzled it lovingly after a minute, when he was satisfied that she meant no harm.

"Shhh, baby, it's okay. Smitty is gonna kick some ass, and then we can go for a nice ride. Oh? What's this? You have hay all in your hair now, you bad thing. I don't suppose you'll let momma brush you out?"

He studied her for a moment, sizing her up, before lowering his head to hers. She pressed her forehead to his, rubbing her skin across the prickly softness. A swift movement to his left made him tense, but he realized quickly that it was the other short human. He snorted when Vegeta came to stand at her side. The two males looked at each other, trying to puzzle the other out, while the female sat back and held her breath. Just when Bulma thought she would expire from the strain bowing her muscles, Shadow relaxed and Vegeta gave him a smirking once-over.

"So, are you done acting like a big baby now? It was just a little music. Nothing for you to lose your shit over."

"Vegeta," Bulma hissed as she smacked his arm. "He can't help it! He doesn't like classical because the violins make him nervous. He likes eighties. More gritty, ya see... I know just what'll help you unwind, big fella. How about a little Red Rider while I fix that mop on your head, hm?"

He whinnied again, looking considerably more pleased. She reached into another leather bag hanging inside of his stall, and extracted a worn, wooden brush, which she handed to Vegeta silently. He took it, though he did curl his lip at her nonchalance. For her sake, he hoped that the pig-headed woman wasn't starting to think he'd just bend to her will like everyone else. The only reason he was still here, and holding this thing was because he wanted to make sure she didn't get squashed by the horse. It wouldn't do for her parents to blame him and take away his gravity machine.

Very calmly, she skirted around Shadow's hind quarters and flicked on the speaker system attached to the far wall. She pulled a tiny square device from her pocket and plugged it into the stereo with a thin cord. He heard sharp clicks come through the speakers as she scrolled through her playlists, finally settling on the one she wanted a few seconds later.

Vegeta found the strange fluted noises issuing around the stall strange. He didn't care for much of Earth's music selections, but this one at least didn't seem too horrible, and it appeared that Shadow agreed.

_Lunatic fringe_

_I know you're out there._

_You're in hiding_

_And you hold your meetings._

She walked back around the horse and held out her hand, asking without words for the prince to hand her brush back over. He growled and slapped it into her palm, feeling shamefully like one of her "stable lads". She rolled her eyes, but set intently on her task as the beat of the music picked up. He watched mesmerized as her hips swayed and her arm reached out to run the brush over the horse's shiny flanks. Shadow's ears twitched, yet he relaxed even more as the melody washed over him.

_I can hear you coming._

_We know what you're after._

_We're wise to you this time._

_We won't let you kill the laughter._

Bulma moved to the front of him and ran the bristles gently over his massive chest. She blushed slightly when her arm brushed Vegeta's. He smirked, and she resisted the urge to claw the amusement from his face. Rolling her eyes, she let the beat swallow her again, winding her body enticingly as she slipped past him.

_Lunatic fringe_

_In the twilight's last gleaming._

_This is open season_

_But you won't get too far._

_'Cause you gotta blame someone_

_For your own confusion._

_But I'm on guard this time_

_Against your final solution._

Bulma stood on her tip-toes and leaned over Shadow, her brush-clad hand trailing down his back in slow, methodical strokes. Vegeta knew the beast was enjoying her attentions. Who wouldn't? Hell, he was starting to relax just looking at her, and the cool beat of the music wasn't hurting either. And why, oh why, did she have to have such a perfect ass? Bitches shouldn't have perfect asses.

_We can hear you coming_

_No you're not gonna win this time._

_We can hear the footsteps _

_Out along the walkway._

_Lunatic fringe_

_We all know you're out there._

_Can you feel the resistance?_

_Can you feel the thunder?_

The song drew to a close just as she worked her way back up to the little white star on his forehead. He wickered when she plunked the brush back in the saddle bag, obviously not ready for her to stop. Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" was just beginning to play when Smitty came back, grinning like he'd just struck gold. Bulma turned to the old fart with a matching smile.

"So, who was blasting the Vivaldi?"

"Some snotty little college boy playing intern for a good name. Took care of him's what I did. Heard you playing some golden oldies over here. Seems to have worked like a charm, though."

"Does that mean I can take him out riding?" She clasped her dainty hands beneath her chin and batted her eyelashes at him sweetly. "Please, Smitty, pleeeeeeeeeease?"

He pulled on his wispy, white beard, brows furrowed, looking for all the world like he might _actually_ refuse her. Vegeta was both shocked and impressed by the nuts on this guy. Then, she walked up to him and grabbed his arm, folding it tightly into her chest. Vegeta could tell right then that the old goat was about to cave, and scowled. At least the weak bastard had the good graces to blush about it...

"Well, Miss Bulma...I...guess there's no harm in it."

"YAY!-"

"But ya gotta take the prince with you."

"WHAT?"

Smitty winced as two loud, screeching voices grated his ears. He didn't _figure_ that suggestion was gonna blow over well...

"Now, Bulma, I won't hear another word about it. Shadow is in an even more rotten mood than usual, and I refuse to let the only heir to the Capsule Corporation, not to mention my little princess, go out unattended. If ya want me to saddle that big bully for ya, yer just gonna have to convince the prince over here to ride along."

Smitty crossed his arms and turned his hooked nose up to the air like a snooty royal footman, signaling that the end of the discussion had come. Bulma "hmphed", but she wasn't going to argue with him. Smitty was something of a favorite uncle to her, and the last thing she wanted to do was upset him, even if that meant not getting her way. Swallowing her pride, she turned pleading eyes to Vegeta, who looked as if she'd slapped him.

"Oh no, woman," he said, holding his hands up to ward her off, "you're not putting me on that thing! Don't even think about it!"

He turned on his heal and stomped away, getting only a few feet from them before he felt two tiny hands clutch at his arm. He ignored her, but Bulma was nothing if not persistent. He had to give her props for that...

"Aw, come on, Vegeta! I really need to take him out, or he'll get even more pissy! Please? I'll...I'll...I'll do whatever you want for a week!"

He stopped, suddenly very intrigued at the thought of having such a proud woman at his beck and call. He looked down at her, giving her an intense once-over. Bulma noticed his eyes lingering for a second longer at her chest, and felt a hot stain bleeding into her cheeks.

"Anything I want?"

An awkward silence befell the pair as Bulma twitched around, hoping he didn't mean to use her for sex. But with such a molten stare pointed in her direction, what else could he mean? Besides...going a few rounds with Vegeta between the sheets didn't seem like any chore at all to her. Actually, it sort of felt like_ she _was the one making off like a bandit.

Slowly, she reached a trembling hand up to the zipper of her jacket and began to pull it down. She nearly shrieked when a hot, rough hand shot out and wrapped a squeezing grip at her wrist. She looked up, shocked, and almost lost it when she saw his look of abject horror and the dark blush covering his face.

"What the fuck are you doing, you idiot? Do you want every man in this disgusting place to ogle your tits? Or are you so pathetically scatterbrained, that you've already forgotten where you are?"

His other hand snaked out and yanked her zipper back up until it touched her chin. Bulma was gobsmacked. Was the prince-of-all-bunched-panties actually doing something to protect lil' ol' her? _The fuck__? _She nearly swooned. Then, she frowned, realizing that he hadn't been after her body. Well, what then? She tilted her head and regarded him quizzically.

"What I mean by anything, you two-cent whore, was that I want you to be available to me at all times for the next seven days. No whining, no back talking, and no telling me "no", or it's no deal, got it?"

He held his hand out to her, trying to imitate the gesture he'd seen the other humans use when striking an accord. Her nose wrinkled, and she began to wonder if making a deal with the devil would be so wise of a choice after all.

Off to her left, Shadow whinnied sadly, and her heart twisted painfully. Okay, so maybe it wouldn't be so horrible playing chamber maid to the mighty Saiyan. After all, she was doing to in service of a beloved furry friend... A bright light of determination danced across her blue eyes, and she slapped her hand into his gamely, closing her little fingers around his as best she could.

"Deal," she said steadily, though her insides felt like jello. What in God's name had she just gotten herself into?

.

.

.

"Okay, Vegeta, just hold still. I'm climbing up now, and this could get a little tricky."

She reached up and got a hard grip on the saddle horn, placing her left foot in the stirrup. She took a deep breath, and hauled herself up and over the Shadow's back, swinging her right foot over the prince's head, until she sat as comfortably as she could in front of him. The prince, for his part, was shifting in the saddle every few minutes, trying to find a position that wouldn't put too much pressure on his nuts. Easier said than done...

Bulma took the reigns from his hands and tossed him a dry look from over her shoulder.

"You alright there, your majesty? Wouldn't want to shatter the royal jewels, and all that."

"Oh just shut up and make this blasted thing move before I remember that I used to eat things like him for a light morning snack."

"Well fine! Kill joy..."

She straightened her back, flyaway strands of her fragrant blue hair tickling his nose. He wondered briefly what kind of shampoo she used. She smelled like one of those sugar cookies that her freakish mother had shoveled down his gullet two days prior. He couldn't resist leaning forward and drawing in her scent. She didn't seem to notice as she fisted the reigns lightly and made several short clicking noises with her mouth. Her knees bent in and squeezed the horses massive ribs, and they were off.

Surprisingly, the beast moved quite gracefully for being so big. The only thing organic that Vegeta had ever ridden were clumsy lizard-like creatures that Frieza had kept on hand, and they were somewhat less than comfortable. This thing was surprisingly smooth. In fact, the only thing remotely unsettling about this ride was Bulma's ass, which rubbed against his most secret place with each dip and sway of the saddle. He darted his eyes around, trying to focus on anything but the delicious slide of her jeans against his spandex-clad flesh, lest he pop a major boner against her.

Bulma blushed hotly, fully aware of just what it was that was brushing her hind end as Shadow continued his meandering walk. Vegeta may not have wanted to have her in bed, be she was certainly all for being wrapped up in his arms...even if they were fully clothed. The sizzling heat of his body was distracting, branding her very skin with the feel of him. Okay, she had to do something to get her mind off of this before she rubbed against him like a mewling kitten, and made a total slut of herself.

"Okay, Vegeta, we're gonna pick this up to a trot. Lean forward against my back and grab on to the saddle horn. Yea, like that, good! Now hold on tight!"

She snapped the reigns and clicked her tongue again. Shadow picked up the pace, jostling the annoyed/horny prince around so much that he was immediately glad that she hadn't left him sitting down. The breeze picked up around their ears, and Vegeta marveled as he felt the horse's muscles gather and release beneath his legs. Her scent blew back more strongly, all but punching him in the nose. Not that he minded. His grip tightened on the leather, and he pressed himself more tightly against her. His nearly fell off the horse when he caught a distinctive spike in her scent. Oh, they were _so_ riding this thing more often.

"Alright, Vegeta, I'm gonna let this poor guy break loose. Hold on to me, and plant your feet in the stirrups. Lean forward, okay..."

He did as she bid, planting the arches of his booted feet on the triangular leather strap, and wrapping an iron tight arm around her waist. She shifted, sliding her tiny feet over the top of his, and leaning all of her feather-light weight forward. Unfortunately, this brought her ass to rest squarely on his balls. Oh, curse his luck!

She clicked her tongue once more, and Shadow was off like a shot, flying across the fields behind Capsule Corporation like bat out of hell. Under his forearm, he felt her breathing kick up into a pant, and he had a feeling that she was far away from him at that moment. He didn't blame her. Something about this animal was strange and wonderful, though damned if he'd ever admit he liked it...

Suddenly, they were airborne as Shadow vaulted over a fallen log. She shrieked, and thinking she was scared, he tightened his grip around her. He should have known better. He couldn't stop the widening of his eyes as she laid her hand atop his, a tinkling laughter rolling from her plump, pink lips. It was an all together different sound than sarcastic grunting that he usually associated with her. So she had an adventurous streak, eh? He smirked. Maybe he'd consider taking her for a flight.

"Come on, Shadow! Run, baby, run! Faster, love, faster!"

His smirk grew into an outright smile as she shouted gleefully to the horse. He dropped his chin on her shoulder, though she didn't notice as the wind whipped around them, twining streaks of stunning blue against thick coal-black.

It seems that long hours had passed before she steered him back to the stables, giving a very relieved Smitty two thumbs up for a ride well done. The old man stuck two grimey fingers in his mouth and whistled, bringing Shadow over to him. She gave him the reigns, and hopped down, throwing a tight grip around the sweaty animal's neck. He whinnied as Vegeta climbed off, and nuzzled her lovingly as Smitty led him away for a good bath and brushing. The Saiyan shifted, his balls protesting at the sudden movement. Well, so much for not being saddle-sore...

"Oh, Vegeta," she said as she turned and grabbed his thick shoulders in a bear hug, " thank you! That was so much fun! I really owe you big time."

She leaned back and cast a twinkling blue gaze at him. His breath caught in his throat as she studied her. Rosy cheeks led to a blinding white smile, azure eyes sparkling, and wind-blown tresses brushing her cheeks and shoulders, sticking out at odd angles. A smudge of dirt streaked across her pert nose, and even so, it occurred to him that he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his whole miserable existence. He smirked, knowing at once what he wanted to do.

"Why, yes, woman. I do believe you said something about bending to my will for an entire week. Here's your first order. Close your eyes."

She shifted nervously, wondering if a short ride with Shadow was worth whatever it was that he was about to make her do. Then, she steeled herself, drawing her shoulders back to full height. A deal was a deal, and a Briefs never went back on their word. Obediently, she slid her eyes closed, her blue lashes making soft crescents against her flushed cheeks. She held her breath and waited.

And that was when he kissed her.

She opened her mouth in shock, and he took the opportunity to snake his tongue between her parted lips. Snapping back to reality, she returned his attentions with an eagerness that she hadn't felt in years. They stayed locked together for a long while, their breath mingling as they panted heavily. After a moment, he pulled back, and she opened glassy blue eyes to study him. Then, she smiled, a tingling warmth curling through her body like so many butterflies.

"Ya know, your highness, I think I might actually like taking orders from you."

"Outstanding," he grouched, "because my ass is killing me, and I'll need you to fix that. Can't do proper training with a sore ass..."

He crossed his arms tightly as her serene smile took on a devilish quality.

"Oh?"

He jumped when he felt tiny hands reaching around him to cup his behind, kneading the tender flesh with a gentle touch. His face flamed, but he was loathe to ask her to stop. She stepped into him, the tips of their toes brushing, and her breasts grazing his arm, and pressed her lips to the shell of his ear. He shivered before he could stop himself.

"Your wish is my command, your grace. And by the way, how are your balls?"

He swung her over his shoulder and flew away.

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.

.

"Shoot fire, Shadow ol' buddy," Smitty said between conspiratorial cackles, " looks like that little ride went just as planned. I'm such a devious old bastard."

Shadow shook his head as he nipped the sugar cube from the elderly human's hand, his horsey thoughts straying a little. Maybe having this new guy around wouldn't be so awful. Now, if only he could convince these dullard humans to get him a female...

**Hope y'all liked it! Reviews are loved. Oh, and I know that horses actually like classical, but Shadow is a different sort, remember? Love y'all!**


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